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of God deceitfully, but by manifeftation of the truth, commende ing ourfelves to every mans confcience in the fight of God. *But. if our Gofpel be hid, it is hid to them that are loft: In whom thei god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, left the light of the glorious gospel of Chrift, who is the image' of God, fhould fhine unto them.. For we preach not ourselves, but Chrift Jefus the Lord; and ourselves your fervants for Jefus fake. For God, who commanded the light to fhine out of darkness, hath fhined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, in the face of Jefus Christ.

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The Gofpel. S. Matth. 9. 9.

ND as Jefus paffed forth from thence he faw a man named Matthew, fitting at the receipt of custom: and he faith unto him, Follow me. And he arofe, and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jefus fat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and finners came, and fat down with him and his difciples. And when the Pharifees faw it, they faid unto his difciples, Why eateth your master with publicans and finners? But when Jefus heard that, he faid unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are fick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not facrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but finners to repentance.

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Saint Michael and all Angels.

The Collect.

Everlasting God, who hast ordained and conftituted the fervice of angels and men in a wonderful order; Mercifully

Paraphrafe on the Collect for the O eternal God who has appointed to Men and Angels their feveral Offices, with wonderful propriety, according to their flations; grant, of thy Mercy, that

But if our Gospel be bid, it is hid, &c. That is, Infidelity and Irreligion are a blindness brought upon the Heart by the God of this World, by the Devil, and the indulgence of diforderly Lufts and Affections And the true way to believe and obey the Gofpel is to afpire after the difpofition of that Writer of it, commemorated this Day. For till we have forfaken cove

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Feast of St. Michael and al Angels.
as thy holy Angels perform thy will in Heaven; fo, by
thy direction, they may help and protect us on Earth
through Jefus Christ our Lord.

tous defires, and inordinate love of Riches, it will not be
poffible for us, with him, to fellero Jefus Chirit.

Thus our

But go yo and learn what that, &c. Lord clearly proved al capital Doctrine of righ Rea fon and true Religion, viz. that ceremonial indittions fhould always give place to Works of Charity

grant, that as thy holy angels alway do thee fervice in heaven; fo by thy appointment they may fuccour and defend us on earth, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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For the Epifle. Rev. 12. 7.

HERE was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels; and prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was caft out, that old ferpent, called the devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were caft out with him. And I heard a loud voice, faying in heaven, now is come falvation and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Chrift: for the accufer of our brethren is caft down, which accufed them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Wo to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the fea: for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a fhort time.

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The Gospel. S. Matth. 18. 1.

T the fame time came the difciples unto Jefus, faying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jefus called a little child unto him, and fet him in the midst of them, and faid, Verily I fay unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye fhall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whofoever therefore fhall humble himself as this little child, the fame is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whofo fhall receive one fuch little child in my Name, receiveth me. But whofo fhall offend one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were

* There was War in Heaven, &c. This paffage as well as the Boo from whence it is felected may juftly be looked upon as allegorical, as well as prophetical. By the War in Heaven therefore is probably meant the Temptations which good Men are fubject to in this fate of probation; which the powers of Darkness per

petually fuggeft and promote; while thofe of Light, labour with equal industry to prevent and defeat them. By the Devil being caft out, &t. is probably fignified the overthrow of Vice, Error, and Idolatry by the propagation and progress of the Chriftian Faith

better for him that a milftone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the fea. Wo unto the world because of offences: for it must needs be that offences come; but wo to that man by whom the offence cometh. Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and caft them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be caft into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and caft it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be caft into hell-fire. Take heed that ye defpife not one of these little ones; for I fay unto you, that §in hea ven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

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Lmighty God, who calledst Luke the Physician, whose praise

is in the Gospel, to be an Evangelift and Physician of the foul; May it please thee, that by the wholesome medicines of the doctrine delivered by him, all the diseases of our fouls may be healed, through the merits of thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord.

Amen.

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The Epiftle. 2 Tim. 4. 5.

Atch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelift, make full proof of thy miniftry. For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give me at that I i 2

Paraphrafe on the Colle Moft mighty God, who didft call Luke the Phyfician to be a Preacher of the Gospel, and enabled him to cure the Maladies of Mens Souls, who is deservedly to be

§ In Heaven their Angels do always, &c. i. e. the chiefeft Angels of Heaven, which are miniftring Spirits to real Chriftians, ftand always in the prefence of God

for St. Luke's Day. praised for his labours in the Miniftry. Grant that by his falutary Doctrine all our spiritual Dicafes may be removed through the Merits of thy Son Jefus Christ. ready to receive his Commandments concerning them, fo highly are they valued by them.

day: and not to me only, but unto all them alfo that love his ap pearing. Do thy diligence to come fhortly unto me: For Demas hath forfaken me, having loved this prefent world, and is departed unto Theffalonica; Crefcens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the miniftry. And Tychicus have I fent to Ephefus. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comeft, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander, the copper-fmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works. Of whom be thou ware alfo, for he hath greatly withstood our words.

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The Gofpel. S. Luke 10. 1.

HE Lord appointed other feventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come. Therefore faid he unto them, The harvest truly is great but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harveft that he would fend forth labourers into his harvest. Go your ways, behold, I fend you forth as lambs forth as lambs among wolves. Carry neither purfe, nor fcrip, nor fhoes, and falute no man by the way. And into whatfoever houfe ye enter, firft fay, Peace be to this houfe. And if the fon of peace be there, your peace fhall reft upon it: if not, it fhall turn to you again. And in the fame houfe remain eating and drinking such things as they give: for the la bourer is worthy of his hire.

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Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apoftles.
The Collect.

Almighty God, who haft built thy Church up
upon the founda-
tion of the Apoftles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himfelf

Paraphrafe on the Collect for St. Simon and Jude's Day.
O moft mighty God, who haft eftalifhed chriftianity
upon the Doctrine of the Apofties and Prophets, Jefus
Chrift being its principle and fupport; infpire all

Only Luke is with me. In thefe few Words we Fave an eminent Example of this Apoftles conftancy in his Faith and Friendship. For tho' St. Paul was at that time perfecuted for his profeflion and left or d ferted by all the rest of his Companions; yet, notwith

Chriftians, by their D. ctrine, with fuch an unity of Faith and Charity, as may render them a fit habitation for thy holy Spirit through Jefus Chrift our Lord. itanding the danger, Luke fill adhered to him, and thereby proved his fincerity in both refpects.

This intimates that harmlefs fimplicity should be the badge of chriftians.

being the head corner-ftone; Grant us fo to be joined together in unity of fpirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto thee, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epiftle. S. Jude 1.

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Ude the fervant of Jefus Chrift, and brother of James, to them that are fanctified by God the Father, and preferved in Jefus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common falvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you, that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the faints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnnation; ungodly men turning the grace of our God into lafcivioufnefs, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew his, how that the Lord having faved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward deftroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath referved in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after ftrange flesh, are fet forth for an example, fuffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewife alfo thefe filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

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The Gofpel. S. John 15. 17. * If Hefe things I command you, that ye love one another. the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated

For there are certain Men crept in, &c. Thefe were the Followers of Simon Magus and the Nicolaitans. Of the latter of which we are told that they allowed themselves in the practice of the most abominable lewdnefs: and of the former that he declared himfelf to be God the Father to the Samaritans, and God the Son to the Jews thus denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift.

If the World hate you, ye know,' &c. The con

fideration of our Lord's fufferings fhould be a motive to patience and refignation, rot only in the cafe of perfecution for confcience fake, but alfo in all worldly afflictions. Becaufe, if he chearfully fo endured fuch forrows for our fake, who was without blemish; how much reafon have we to bear patiently the chaftifeents of Heaven when our fins have deferved far more than God is pleased to lay upon us.

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